Blood Bonds
by Merrie
Summary: Someone or something is after Lacroix, and it is up to Nick and Co. to find out who it is and how to stop them. WIP
1. Default Chapter

Blood Bonds By Merrie Thomas  
  
Prologue 530 PM, Toronto Canada  
  
Nick Knight winced a little when his friend and the only mortal who knew of his secret, Natalie Lambert drew a syringe out of his arm. "Oh, don't be such a baby." she chided him, noticing his wince. "You heal, remember?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. That's what I'm trying to change." He flexed his arm and made a little face of disgust when he saw that the place where Nat had inserted the syringe had already healed over. He sighed. 'The curse of being a vampire.' he thought to himself. A little voice in the back of his brain damned him for that. What mortal wouldn't sell their soul to be able to heal so quickly? To live forever? Nick certainly hadn't been able to refuse.  
  
"What's bothering you, Nick? You seem to be brooding a bit more than usual this evening. We'll find a cure, don't worry." she said with a frown.  
  
Nick placed a hand on her shoulder. "Nat, I know you'll find a cure. It's not that. I don't know what's been wrong with me lately. I simply feel a sense of doom about my head." Natalie looked at him incredulously. "Yeah, I know. I'm being melodramatic. I think that is yet another curse of my kind-" He broke off conversation as a searing pain tore through his skull. He put his hands to his head and fell to the ground with a loud groan. Natalie let out a yell.  
  
"Nick! Are you alright? Talk to me! What's wrong?"  
  
Nick couldn't answer her. He could hardly think straight the pain was so strong. Something was wrong...very wrong. As soon as he was able, he looked up at Natalie. "Nat...I'm alright. It's not me...it's Lacroix."  
  
Blood Bonds  
  
A Forever Knight story by Merrie Thomas  
  
Disclaimer: All characters you're familiar with don't belong to me. Those that you aren't, do.  
  
Characters: Lacroix, Nick, Natalie, Tracy, Erin Gabriel OFC,  
  
Summary: Someone or something is after Lacroix, and it is up to Nick and Nat to find out who it is and how to stop them.  
  
Author's Note: Be kind, this is only my second attempt at Forever Knight fanfic. This takes place in the third season after Ashes to Ashes. Also, '...' indicates the character is thinking to themself.  
  
Rating: This story is rated PG-13 for violence and language  
  
Nick got up to leave, heading towards the door. "Nick! Wait! What are you doing? It's still daylight outside, remember?" Nick glanced toward one of the front windows of the building. Nat was right. He had been so ready to go and help Lacroix that he hadn't thought about his own safety. "Now tell me, what's wrong? You said something about Lacroix. Is he in trouble?" Nick nodded. Nat gave him a look. "How do you know that? You know, he's the one part about your life that you never talk about. I mean, I know he made you a vampire, you've been willing enough to share that, but what else?"  
  
"It's-it's hard to explain, Nat. I just know if he's in trouble. He would know immediately if something happened to me as well."  
  
"So that's how he was at the hospital after you got shot. I had wondered about that since there was no way that you could have called him."  
  
"Yes, but that doesn't matter right now, Nat. What matters is that he is in trouble and he needs my help. And to help him, I need you. So let's go. Oh, and bring some blood. I have a bad feeling." Nick then turned and went out the parking garage. Nat sighed and got five blood packets out of her freezer and put them into a portable cooler. She closed it tightly as she made her way to where Nick's Caddy was parked. As soon as she reached Nick's car, he tossed her the keys and got into the trunk. "You drive. He should be at the Raven. I've got a thing about sunlight." Natalie sighed again and got in, making her way toward the Raven.  
  
Earlier that day, the Raven  
  
Lacroix couldn't sleep. His body knew that he needed to, it knew that it was daylight outside, but he couldn't convince his mind of the fact. Resigned, he walked down to the cellar of the Raven, tugging his black silk robe a bit tighter around him as he felt it loosen with his long strides. He stopped abruptly at the feeling of another presence. He glanced around him, and made his way to the rooms where many of his kind opted to stay during the day. To his surprise he found them all empty. He was alone. He glanced up, the presence he had felt was gone. "Hello? Is there anyone here?" As soon as he said it, Lacroix chuckled at his foolishness. Of course there was no one here. 'That still doesn't explain the presence you felt,' a nagging voice at the back of his head casually informed him. He pushed it away, becoming irritated because the voice sounded annoyingly close to Nicholas'. He shook his head slightly and made his way to where he kept the bottles of blood-laced red wine. He unlocked the gate and pulled out a bottle. He was tempted to pull out the cork and take a long pull right then and there, but he was more sophisticated than that. He locked up the gates and made his way upstairs to get a glass. After finding a very expensive crystal goblet, he made his way back to his room in the hopes that after he had had his drink he would feel like going back to sleep. Upon entering his room however, any thoughts of sleep vanished from his mind as he felt the presence again. "Show yourself, I know you're here!" He yelled, setting the bottle and glass upon his bedside table. There was no answer. Lacroix's rage was nearing it's peak. He knew someone was here, but where were they? And why don't they show themselves? That was Lacroix's last conscious thought as he succumbed to the darkness, his own screams the last sound he heard.  
  
Present Time  
  
Natalie pulled up in front of the Raven, and turning off the car went to unlock the trunk. "Nick, can you hear me?" She asked as she inserted the key into the slot.  
  
"Yes, Natalie. Are we there?"  
  
"We are in front of the Raven right now. I am going to open up the trunk now, and I wanted you to be ready."  
  
"Alright. I'm ready. Unlock the front door of the Raven though." Nick said, his voice muffled through the metal of the large trunk. Natalie turned and went to unlock the door, making sure to leave it open to Nick could get inside before the sun did any real damage. Try as she might to make him believe otherwise, Nick still believed the sun could harm him. Natalie believed it was simply a case of mind over matter. If Nick believed the sun would cause him harm, it would. On the other hand...Pushing these thoughts away for the moment, Natalie concentrated on the situation in front of her. She opened up the truck and immediately backed out of the way as Nick came racing out of it towards the dark safety of the club. Natalie then closed the lid nearly all the way, leaving it open slightly so Nick wouldn't have to unlock it if he had to run out here again, and turned to get the blood-filled cooler from the passenger seat. Locking up the Caddy, she went to join Nick inside.  
  
When Nick got inside he glanced himself over to make sure he wasn't badly injured, and then made his way quickly to where he sensed his master was. He vaguely sensed Natalie trying to keep up, but it is no use for a mortal to try and keep up with a vampire when he decides to use his real speed. Upon reaching Lacroix's door however, he hesitated. Something was not right. He could feel it in the air. Something felt out of balance. His thoughts were interrupted however by the sound of a slightly winded Natalie as she reached the top of the flight of stairs he had just sped up. She slowly walked over and glanced with curiosity. "So, is Lacroix here? Is he alright?" she asked a bit nervously.  
  
"I know he's here. This is his room. Now, I want you to stay back a bit. If something did happen to Lacroix, and he is injured, he is more dangerous than you can ever imagine." Nick made sure Natalie understood the situation and opened the door. There was no way he could have prepared himself from the scene that greeted him. There was Lacroix, his maker, his father, staked out on his bed. Literally. There was one stake each in his legs and arms, and one though his stomach. His face was also covered with deep cuts. Nick doubled over as a wave of pain crested over him.  
  
"Oh-oh my God, Nick. Who did this to him? Is he even still alive?" Natalie whispered from behind him.  
  
"Yes, his is still alive, but he won't be for very much longer if we don't help him." He moved in towards his maker, taking in ever sight before him, swearing revenge on whomever had done this. "Nat, I need you to help get the stakes out. But you must be very careful, and you must do it slow as so the wood doesn't splinter. A word of warning, he has lost a lot of blood, Nat. And I do mean a lot. I don't know what having you here is going to do to him, but we don't have a choice." He glanced over at her, and noticed the blood drain out of her face. She then took a moment to collect herself and nodded. He then leaned over to Lacroix, who was by some miracle still conscious. Lacroix looked up at him in a mixture of relief and the intense pain he must have been feeling. Nick placed a hand on his cheek, taking an inventory of the scratches he found there. He then grabbed the stake in Lacroix's left arm. He pulled his hand back with a grimace.  
  
"Nick! What's wrong?!" Natalie asked.  
  
"Can't you smell it?" Natalie sniffed the air hesitantly. She glanced up at Nick who nodded. "Garlic. These stakes are soaked in garlic." Before Natalie could even begin to imagine what that would be like for a vampire, Nick grabbed the stake again, taking a deep breath as his hands began to smoke a little. Natalie took a hold of one in Lacroix's thigh. "One, two, three!" On the last count they both yanked a stake out. Lacroix let out a roar as the pain assaulted him. Nick couldn't help but give a little gasp of his own as the pain backlashed through the blood link he had with Lacroix. "Two down, three to go." Nick said as he motioned a pale Natalie to grab another stake. "One, two, three!" Once again they both yanked another stake out, but Lacroix wasn't able to cry out this time. He simply gave a small gasp as what little color he had left in his face drained out. "Hold on, Lacroix. We have one more to go and then we can work on getting you back to normal." Nick grabbed the last stake, noting it's position. 'whoever did this to him could have killed him. All it would have taken is one stake through the heart. Why make him suffer like this?' Nick shoved that thought to the back of his mind as he pulled the last stake out. Lacroix made no motion or sound, however. He simply fainted dead away.  
  
Nick dropped the final stake to the ground, and closed his eyes at the agony his maker was feeling. "Nick?" Natalie asked. "Are you going to be alright? Is he going to be alright?"  
  
Nick looked over at her with what he tried to make a reassuring glance. "I think so, Natalie. He needs blood though." He glanced to the bedside table where Lacroix had placed the bottle of blood-laced wine and picked it up. He then took the cork between his teeth and pulled it out, not looking at Natalie for a reaction to his bad habit. He gently lifted Lacroix's head and placed the bottle to his lips. "Lacroix? You must drink." At first, there was no answer, and Nick became worried. Then, slowly Lacroix opened his eyes and ever so slightly leaned toward the bottle to drink. After what seemed a very long time, he finished the bottle.  
  
"He doesn't look any better." Natalie commented on seeing Lacroix finish the bottle.  
  
"I know. There is only one solution." Nick said, as he tore into his wrist. He then placed it in front of Lacroix who latched onto it and began to drink slowly.  
  
Natalie couldn't help but wince a little at this. Visions of Nick's true nature and his relationship with Lacroix unnerved her. She gave a little sigh of relief when she saw Nick take his wrist back. Lacroix, it seemed had fallen back into unconsciousness. Nick gasped.  
  
"Nick? Are you ok?"  
  
"I-I don't know, Natalie. Something...something wasn't right when he fed from me. It felt wrong, somehow."  
  
"What do you mean, wrong?" Natalie asked, not really wanting to admit to herself that she was a little worried. She had never really cared for Lacroix, never really known him, but that didn't necessarily mean that she wanted to see him hurt.  
  
"I can't explain it, I just know something isn't right."  
  
"Who did this to him? Who could do this to him? The only vampire I've ever seen inflict this kind of damage was Divia. Are you sure Lacroix finished her?" Natalie asked, casting a look towards the door.  
  
"I'm sure, Nat. Divia didn't do this, she is dead. I staked her through the heart and Lacroix burned her body to ashes."  
  
"You saw this?" Natalie asked him.  
  
"No, but I trust Lacroix's word that he did it. Why wouldn't he? She was already dead."  
  
"It's just...I don't know, Nick. Don't mind me. It's simply unnerving to see something hurt one of you guys. Especially him. I didn't think anything could touch him."  
  
"Nothing was supposed to, Nat. Nothing was supposed to." Nick whispered. "He was supposed to be the one person I wouldn't-" Nick caught himself as he realized what he was saying. "He was supposed to be the one person I wouldn't lose." He gave Natalie a look of surprise.  
  
"He was the one person you didn't think you had to worry about. Well, I'm sorry, Nick. Everyone gets hurt, everyone dies. Now, it may be a little harder in a vampire's case, but it can still happen."  
  
"I know, Nat. It's just..." He looked down at Lacroix. "We can talk about this later. Right now we have to get him out of here."  
  
"But it's still daylight out. Why shouldn't we stay here until the sun sets?" Natalie asked with a look at her watch. "We don't have that much daylight left anyway."  
  
"Nat, whoever did this got in without Lacroix noticing it. That means that it probably wasn't a vampire. And if it wasn't a vampire, that means a little sun won't affect them."  
  
"I-I guess you're right, Nick. But where are we going to take him, Nick? We can't take him to your place." At Nick's questioning glance she continued. "What if whoever did this to him is after you as well? Your loft would be the first place they looked." Nick winced. Natalie was right. But where could they take him? Most of the vampires he knew were dead. Vachon, Urs, Screed, Janette. Who else could he trust? The answer came to him in a flash. He looked at Natalie, who had seemed to come to the same conclusion he had.  
  
"Tracy." They both said at once. "She should be home now." he threw his cellphone at Natalie. "You call, tell her it's an emergency. I'll get Lacroix out to the Caddy. Did you leave the trunk unlocked?" Natalie nodded as she speed-dialed Detective Tracy Vetter's home phone number.  
  
"Hello? This is Detective Tracy Vetter speaking." Tracy answered after a few rings.  
  
"Tracy? It's Natalie. Listen to me very carefully. Do you have anyone at the house with you right now?"  
  
"Natalie I, no I don't. What is this all about?"  
  
"I'll explain everything soon, I promise. Now, Nick and I are coming over, and we're bringing a sick friend. Before you say anything, just listen. This is a very 'special' friend and he needs our help and we have no where else to turn. Do you understand?" Natalie could practically hear the wheels turning in Tracy's mind after that little comment.  
  
"I-uh, I think so, Natalie. I'll be here."  
  
"Thanks, Tracy. We'll be there in a few minutes."  
  
As Natalie hung up the phone, she could only murmur to herself. "Nicholas B. Knight, I hope you know what the hell you're doing." She then walked downstairs toward the Caddy, full of dread.  
  
A/N: Please tell me what you think. All comments will be appreciated. Also, there are more chapters which I will post should anyone be interested in reading them. 


	2. Chapter Two

Blood Bonds Part II A Forever Knight story by Merrie Thomas Disclaimer: All characters you're familiar with don't belong to me. Those that you aren't, do. Characters: Lacroix, Nick, Natalie, Tracy, Erin Gabriel OFC, Summary: Someone or something is after Lacroix, and it is up to Nick and Nat to find out who it is and how to stop them. Author's Note: Be kind, this is only my second attempt at Forever Knight fanfic. This takes place in the third season after Ashes to Ashes. Also, '...' indicates the character is thinking to themself. Rating: This story is rated PG-13  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Tracy Vetter just stared at the phone in shock. 'Was it possible? Could Natalie know about vampires?' That was what she had assumed Natalie had meant when she said that she and Nick had a 'special' friend that needed help. 'Why would they come here? Did she tell Nick? Or did he tell her?' These were but a few of the many questions running through Tracy's head as she sat down to wait for her company, and hopefully some answers.  
  
Erin Gabriel couldn't help it, she was excited. In fact, she was more than excited. She had been waiting so long for this, and now the day was finally here. She was going to meet the Nightcrawler! The one man to whom she could share her deepest, darkest secrets, and she was going to spend the evening with him at one of the city's hottest dance clubs, The Raven. She had visited it the pervious night in the hopes of catching sight of the Nightcrawler himself, or Mr. Lucien Lacroix as he was otherwise named. It had taken her a lot of time and effort to discover that little fact. She sighed for a moment, slightly fanning herself. 'Lucien. What a name!'Anyway, she had gone to the club to meet with him, face to face, only to be turned down by a bartender of all people! She spluttered a bit and was about to tell him where to stick it when he had informed her that Mr. Lacroix, 'Lucien, his name is Lucien,' would meet with her privately here at the club at sunset. At first, she couldn't believe what she was hearing! He wanted to meet her! In private! It was more than she could hope for. Of course, she had hastily agreed and rushed home, eager for the next evening to arrive. As it turned out, she found that she didn't have the patience to wait until sunset, so she came a little early. She was sure Lucien wouldn't mind. After all, he had asked to meet with her. Reassuring herself of this fact, she made her way to the Raven a little before sunset. Not so much as to make her seem desperate, but just enough to alleviate her impatience. She had parked a few blocks down, 'what kind of nightclub has no parking on the street in front of it?' and made her way on foot, making sure to check herself over to make sure she still looked ok. She brushed a hand over her shoulder-length reddish brown hair and smiled over her choice of outfit for the evening, a dark burgundy-colored, form-fitting, ankle-length velvet dress with a daring neckline and a long slit for a good glimpse of a bit of leg to peek through. She hoped Lucien would like it. The guys at the hotel she was staying at had certainly made their preference known as she left. Even so, she still felt a little uneasy. She was not acting like herself. 'Who am I kidding?' she asked herself. 'This isn't me. I would never even own a dress like this let alone wear it. What was I thinking? I have to go change. I can't meet Lucien like this, what would he think of me?' She was just about to turn around and head back to her car when she hesitated. She looked to the front of the Raven, and noticed the door was unlocked. She then looked to the street and noticed a large blue-green old Cadillac parked in front. Walking over to this curiosity, she noticed something else. Someone had left the trunk open. She was about to put her hands on top of it to close it when she was pushed out of the way by a very strong force. "Move!" Someone or something shouted at her. She jumped at the forcefulness in the voice. She blinked a couple of times to clear her mind of the strange vision that lay before her. A handsome blond haired man was quickly laying another man into the trunk.  
  
"Hey! What's going on? What are you doing to that man?!" She moved over to get a better glimpse of the two men. She looked at the man in the trunk and gasped in recognition. "Lucien! Where are you taking him? If you don't let him go right this instant I am going to call the police!" The man turned to look at her, and damned if he didn't seem to be smoking just a little bit. And his eyes, yellow, animal eyes. "I-I..." she paused a bit, more than a little frightened. She blinked a couple of times to clear her head. "You are not taking him! I know him and I've seen your face! I know what this is! This is kidnaping and when the police get done with you, you are going to be in big trouble! Now, you let him go and maybe they will go easier on you!"  
  
The man grunted, "I am the police, and I don't have time for this." he said, casting a glance toward the sky. He then turned to look at her, his eyes locking on hers. Listen to me very carefully. This never happened. Erin couldn't help but be a bit entranced by the voice. She almost found herself believing that it had all been her imagination. Almost.  
  
"I-I-this never..no! This is happing! And none of your little tricks is going to make me forget that!" She turned toward the street. "Police! Police! Help me!" While she was turned however, Nick got into the trunk with Lacroix and closed the lid. 'Let Natalie deal with her.' he thought.  
  
Natalie raced outside, coming upon the scene. She looked over at the nearly scantily dressed young woman nearly screaming her lungs out for the police outside, alternatingly banging on the trunk of the Caddy. 'Uh-oh. Natalie thought. This could be trouble.' She walked out under the overhang, making sure to lock the Raven's door as she went. She then turned and slowly made her way to the woman as to not frighten her further. "Miss?" she called quietly. The woman turned to her in a flash.  
  
"Oh! You must help me! This man has kidnaped Lucien! He has him in the trunk of his car! I don't know where he went, I think he's in the trunk with him!"  
  
"Lucien?" Natalie whispered to herself. 'Oh no, this is going to cause problems.' "Now, I know how this going to sound, but you are going to have to trust me on this. Lucien is fine. Well, actually he is very sick and he needs our help immediately. We were going to take him to the hospital right now."  
  
"In the trunk?" Erin asked, not believing a word of it. "You're in on this too, aren't you? Where are you taking him?!"  
  
"Hold on a minute, I'm not a part of anything!" She put up her hands to emphasize this point and made her way to the trunk of the Caddy. "Nick?" she murmured under her breath. "Can you hear me?" She then heard a quiet thump on the roof of the trunk. She took that as a 'yes.' "What do you want to do about this? Should we take her with us? I assumed you tried the 'whammy' on her. It must have been unsuccessful or we wouldn't be in this situation. So, do I bring her with us? She's going to cause major problems unless we convince her that you aren't kidnaping Lacroix. Do you agree?" Natalie had to wait a moment, but at last heard a hesitant single knock on the lid of the hood. Natalie sighed. "Alright. I hope we know what we're doing." She turned to the woman, dreading what she was about to do. "Now I want you to listen to me very carefully, I promise I'll explain everything if you simply come with me. Now, I know what you're thinking, but don't worry, I'll even make sure to drive through downtown if that will make you feel safer."  
  
"You say you don't mean to hurt Lucien, that you're taking him to a hospital. Then why do you have him in the trunk?" Erin asked, still unbelieving.  
  
Natalie sighed. "Well, that will take a bit of time to explain, but you see, Lucien is very, very ill and we must help him right away. Now, you can either come with us and help us, he could very well die. Now what's it going to be?" Natalie made her way to the Caddy, hoping for the best.  
  
Erin didn't know what to think. This woman's statements seemed convincing enough, but what about what she had seen? What about that man who had said he was a cop? Erin hadn't exactly seen where he had gone, but he must have gotten into the trunk because she hadn't seen him leave. But why did he do that? She didn't like it, but what choice did she have? If she didn't go with them now, what's to say they won't just kill Lucien later? Erin took a deep breath and made her way to the car, offering up a small prayer for hers and Lucien's safety from these people.  
  
They drove in silence through town, Erin starting to believe a bit of what she had been told. "Um...I never did catch your name, Miss...?" Natalie prompted.  
  
Erin cast her a look, but decided to give in. "My name is Erin. Erin Gabriel. And you are?" Erin prompted.  
  
"Nice to meet you Miss Gabriel. My name is Dr. Natalie Lambert, and the gentleman you met earlier is Det. Nick Knight. Well, what I wanted to talk to you about is that I haven't been completely honest with you."  
  
"What-what do you mean?" Erin asked, casting a worried glance toward the door.  
  
"We aren't going to the hospital right away. Now don't worry, we're going to a friend's. She's a cop, Det. Tracy Vetter. Have you heard that name before? Her father is the police commissioner. In fact, we're there." Natalie parked the Caddy in front of Tracy's house and got out before Erin could comment. She then looked around and noticed the darkening sky. She went to the trunk and unlocked it. "Nick? You can come out now, we're here and the sun has set. How is he?" Natalie asked, casting a glance toward Lacroix's still unconscious form.  
  
"I don't know, Nat. He should be awake by now. Something is wrong. What happened to the girl?" Nick asked, getting out of the trunk with a glance towards the sky. When he was certain that the setting sun would not pose a threat, he turned to pick up Lacroix.  
  
"I assume you're talking about me?" Erin asked, having gotten out of the car in time to hear their conversation. "I just want to say that you'd better have some pretty damn good explanations to back up this little 'tale' of yours or I am going to the police." At Nick's look she added, "the real police."  
  
"If I told you that Lacroix here was my father, would that change your opinion any of what you have seen today?" Nick asked with a sidelong glance at Natalie. "Your father? Yeah right. Unless he had you when he was a teenager there is no way that he can be your father." Erin said with a look of 'what else can these people make up?'  
  
Nick sighed. "He's my foster father. I have known him nearly all of my life and now it's time we help him." He then walked to Tracy's front doorstep, carrying Lacroix's limp form in his arms. Natalie shook her head and closed the trunk behind him and also made her way toward's Tracy's apartment.  
  
"Are you coming?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at Erin.  
  
"Yeah, I'm coming. I don't like it, but I'm coming."  
  
Nick waited a moment at Tracy's front door, hoping that he was doing the right thing in bringing Lacroix here. He knew that once Tracy saw the two of them together, she would put two and two together and figure out what he really was. She was an excellent detective, and he was rather surprised that he had been able to keep his secret from her for so long. He sighed, and pressed forward, shifting Lacroix's weight in his arms so he would be able to knock on the door. "Tracy? It's Nick. Open the door." He waited as he heard Tracy's rushing footsteps. She was certainly curious as to what was going on. Nick suspected she already had a pretty good idea, and if she didn't, she would have one now. Tracy opened the door and gave a small gasp as she laid her eyes upon who Nick had in his arms.  
  
"Nick? That's...do you know who that is?" Tracy asked, her voice wavering just a bit.  
  
"Yes Tracy. I know who or rather what he is, but right now he's in a lot of trouble and he needs your help. Can you do that?" At Tracy's nod, Nick went through her door into her living room. He then laid Lacroix down on her couch and put a hand to his master's head. 'Wake up, Lacroix. Don't leave me.' Nick thought with a rather worried look on his face. 'Why isn't he waking up?'  
  
A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews!! The next chapter will be up soon!!! 


	3. Chapter Three

Blood Bonds Part III A Forever Knight story by Merrie Thomas Disclaimer: All characters you're familiar with don't belong to me. Those that you aren't, do. Characters: Lacroix, Nick, Natalie, Tracy, Erin Gabriel OFC, Summary: Someone or something is after Lacroix, and it is up to Nick and Nat to find out who it is and how to stop them. Author's Note: Be kind, this is only my second attempt at Forever Knight fanfic. This takes place in the third season after Ashes to Ashes. Also, '...' indicates the character is thinking to themself. Rating: This story is rated PG-13  
  
Tracy couldn't believe what was happening. She was so fixed on who was now stretched out on her living room couch that she barely noticed Natalie and another young woman she had never met before come in after Nick. The young woman glanced at her suspiciously and then turned and closed Tracy's front door. "How is he?" Natalie directed at Nick.  
  
"Not good, Nat. He should be awake by now. Something else is wrong." Nick answered her with an unsure look on his face.  
  
"Ok wait a moment! What the heck is going on here? Why is he of all people in my apartment?! Don't you people know what he is? And who the hell are you?" Tracy shouted, turning to Erin.  
  
"Whoa, calm down Tracy. I said I'd explain everything when we got here, and I am going to keep this promise." She turned towards Erin. "This is Erin Gabriel. You might find a colleague in her, she doesn't know exactly what's going on right now either."  
  
"You're damn right I don't! I thought we were going to a hospital! This sure doesn't seem like any hospital I've ever seen before! And you said you guys were cops, right? I have yet to have seen one single badge! Why don't I just call the police right now and find out who the hell you people are?!" In response, Tracy flipped open her badge and gave it to Erin to inspect.  
  
"My name is Det. Tracy Vetter, and I can assure you, I am just as confused by all of this as you are."  
  
"I sincerely doubt it, lady." Erin glanced over the badge. She seemed somewhat appeased. "What about kidnaper's over there? He said he was a cop too. Well, time to put your badge where your mouth is, mister." Nick sighed, giving Natalie a pleading look. Natalie in turn shrugged as if to say, 'it's not my fault. We just have to deal with it.' He then took out his badge and threw it to Erin who caught it one handed. She then opened it up and inspected it thoroughly. "All right, this seems to be real as well. So, if you people are who you say you are why did you kidnap Lucien and ride with him in the trunk?" At that, Tracy looked over a Nick with wide eyes.  
  
"Nick? Tell me you're not..." She faded out, unable to finish the sentence.  
  
"Yes, Tracy I am. I am sorry I have never told you before. I believe you know Lacroix is one as well. In fact, he's the one who brought me across." Tracy's jaw dropped.  
  
"How? Why? You could have trusted me. I would have kept your secret, Nick. Why didn't you tell me sooner. I assume you knew about Vachon." Her eyes welled up a little at the mention of his name.  
  
"Wait a damn minute here! What in God's name are you people talking about? You and Lucien are one of what? What do you mean, 'brought across?' What are you people talking about?"  
  
Tracy looked at Nick and Natalie at the mention of Lacroix's first name with a bit of a raised eyebrow, but didn't answer Erin's question.  
  
"Well, Erin I think you better sit down for this one." Natalie said slowly.  
  
"Why? What's wrong?" Erin asked.  
  
"Miss Gabriel is it?" At Erin's nod, Nick continued. "Miss Gabriel, Lacroix and I...we're vampires. In fact, we've been vampires for a very, very long time." At Tracy's astonished look, he added. "In fact, I am over eight hundred years old myself. As for Lacroix...well, he was a general." Nick said with a small grin.  
  
"What do you mean a general? Like in the army? Which army?" Tracy asked, confused.  
  
"Roman. But he lived in Pompeii actually. In fact, he witnessed first hand it's destruction when Mt. Vesuvius erupted."  
  
"Roman...Pompeii...Vesuvius..." Tracy and Natalie mumbled at the same time, casting glances toward Lacroix. Nick watched them, amused. He hadn't told Natalie about that part of Lacroix's past either. There had seemed no point.  
  
Erin scoffed however. "Vampires? Yeah right. I'm calling the police. You people are psycho!" She turned to be looking for a phone as quickly as she could. She wasn't quick enough.  
  
"Erin!" Nick shouted, bearing his fangs and sporting a pair of glowing yellow eyes. The blood in her face drained out as she saw him for what he really was.  
  
"You-you were telling the truth. You really are a vampire!" She sat down next to the couch, shaking.  
  
"I'm sorry to have to show you like that, but it was the only way to get you to believe me. Now that you believe me, believe me when I tell you that Lacroix here needs our help."  
  
"Why did you bring him here-" "What's wrong with him?" Tracy and Erin asked at the same time. They looked at one another.  
  
"To answer both of your questions, he was attacked sometime today, we found him nearly staked to death in his own home." At Erin's shocked look he clarified. "Staking is one of the few methods to kill us. We can also be killed by fire, decapitation, and sunlight. We can't stand religious symbols such as crosses."  
  
"I've seen the movies, I know the drill. But if someone staked Lucien, why isn't he dead?"  
  
"I'm afraid I don't know that, Erin. As for Tracy's question, you are the only person we could turn to. Lacroix was attacked in his own home. I don't trust anywhere else, even my loft. Also, all of the vampires we knew were killed by Lacroix's immortal daughter, Divia." Nick caught himself as he realized what he had just revealed.  
  
"That's-that's what happened to Vachon, isn't it? He didn't leave did he? I know that he would never do that to me. He wouldn't just leave. I knew it. And he," she gestured to LaCroix, "tried to make me forget. He would have succeeded if you hadn't said anything. Alright, now I know why you came here, but what do you expect me to do about it? We can't all just camp out at my place, can we? What about him?" She asked, once again gesturing to Lacroix.  
  
As if on cue, Lacroix issued a slow groan from his place on the couch. Nick, Natalie, Erin and Tracy immediately rushed to his side, Nick being the first, Erin not far behind. "Lacroix? Speak to me. Are you alright? Who did this to you?"  
  
"What is he saying?" Natalie asked, hearing Lacroix's mumbled response before he fell back into the abyss.  
  
"It's, I'm not sure exactly, Nat. It seemed to be in Latin, but not the church Latin I learned in school. I can only assume it was his original language. I have never heard him speak it before." He put a hand to Lacroix's forehead. He drew it back with a bit of a gasp. "Nat? He's...he's warm."  
  
"What do you mean, he's warm?" Natalie asked, placing her own hand on LaCroix's face. She found it a bit intimidating to be so close to the one person she had truly feared. He didn't seem so fearful now, though. He almost seemed...human. "Oh my God, you're right. He is warm. You don't think there's another fever, do you Nick? I mean, it's happened once before, who's to say that it can't happen again?"  
  
"You were infected by the fever, weren't you Nick? I remember that was one of the only times I had ever seen you look sick before. I never did find out how that was cured. I take it Natalie had something to do with it?"  
  
"Actually, Lacroix discovered the cure unknowingly, Natalie saw it for what it was."  
  
"Wait a minute here, it's all well and good that you seem to be getting over the initial shock of real vampirism, Detective Vetter, you've obviously had some experience with them, but I'm new in town and I don't know what the hell you're talking about."  
  
"I'm sorry, Erin. A fever nearly destroyed the entire vampire population a while back. It was the first known illness in history to affect vampires."  
  
"And you think Lucien might have it again?"  
  
"No, not necessarily, but a vampire isn't supposed to have any body heat, feel Nick's hands sometime if you don't believe me, but Lacroix's does. That's why we believe he may have contracted a new form of the fever."  
  
"I notice you keep using Mr. Lacroix's first name, Erin. Have you known him long? I don't know anyone who uses his first name." Tracy stated.  
  
Erin blushed. "I uh...actually I don't really know him at all, except as the Nightcrawler. I was supposed to meet him in person tonight at the club. I call him Lucien because it's a habit of mine. I usually use a person's first and full name rather than nicknames or last names. In a little while you'll find me calling all of you by your first names without ever asking me to. It's a habit, but that's just the way I am."  
  
"You mean to tell me that you've never met him before tonight? Then why did you make such a fuss when we tried to take him from the club?" Nick asked.  
  
"Oh come on! Just because you haven't met someone doesn't mean that you are simply going to let someone else you've never met seem to kidnap them, now are you? I thought you were supposed to be a police officer."  
  
"I've been a lot of things, but right now I am simply worried about Lacroix. Nat? Is there anyway of knowing exactly what's wrong with him?"  
  
"Not here, there isn't. I would have to take some blood tests back to the lab. In the mean time, let's try and wake him up. It would help if he could tell us just what happened. Maybe he knows what is happening to him."  
  
"You're right, Nat. We need to know if whoever did this to him is still after him." He turned to Lacroix and gently laid a hand on his master's shoulder. "Lacroix? Come back to us. You need to wake up. Lacroix?" At the mention of his name, he groaned again and began mumbling in his ancient first language once more. His voice reached a climax and began to fade out again as he began to lose consciousness. Nick saw this and began to shake him. "Lacroix! Don't fade out on us now!" Lacroix opened his ice-blue eyes wide and focused on Nick. Nick smiled as he saw a hint of recognition in them.  
  
"Nicholas?" Lacroix whispered.  
  
"Yes, it's me Lacroix. Are you alright? Who did this to you?"  
  
"I-I don't think so, Nicholas. Something..something is wrong. I feel wrong. Something has happened to me."  
  
"Well you were nearly staked to death, and your face..." Nick gestured to the remaining cuts on his master's face with a frown. They should have been gone by now. Lacroix put a hand to his face where the cuts were and gasped as a wave of pain assaulted him.  
  
Natalie couldn't help but grimace as she saw Lacroix writhe on Tracy's couch in pain. She then focused her attention to Nick, who seemed to be feeling almost as much pain as Lacroix seemed to be. 'Interesting,' she thought as she rushed to Nick's side. 'He seems to be feeling what Lacroix is feeling. I need to find out more about this later. If we have a later.'  
  
"Lacroix!" Nick roared, startling everyone into the room. He placed his hands on Lacroix's face in an effort to calm him.  
  
"Nicholas." Lacroix gasped, his voiced laced with pain. "What is happening to me?"  
  
"I-I don't know, Lacroix. Natalie?" He looked to Natalie with hope that she might be able to answer his question.  
  
"I'm not sure yet, Nick. Beyond the fever, I've not really had that much experience with vampire illnesses."  
  
"I am not ill!" Lacroix grunted through clenched teeth.  
  
"Then how do you describe what is happening to you?" Natalie asked, a bit pleased with herself when she saw that she had caught him. She'd never expected that she would be the one to take the indomitable Lucien Lacroix down a notch.  
  
"Are you sure he's sick?" Erin asked from where she had taken a place in the corner of the room. All eyes turned toward her. She blushed under the attention.  
  
"And just who are you, my dear?" Lacroix asked her, the pain he was feeling finally beginning to subside for the moment.  
  
"My name is Erin Gabriel. I was on my way to meet you when I met Detective Knight here."  
  
"Ah yes. I was looking forward to meeting you in person. And may I say that you are more stunning than I had ever imagined."  
  
Tracy looked to the vampire on her couch with shock, Natalie's eyes bulged, and Nick simply gave a shake of his head at Lacroix's comment. They looked as if they didn't believe what they were hearing. Natalie recovered a bit and glanced over at Erin who she noticed, at least had the good graces to blush.  
  
"Thank-thank you." Erin stammered a little, her face becoming even more flushed.  
  
"Ok, all flattering aside, we need to know what happened to you Lacroix. Now do you want our help or not? Because I certainly have other things I could be doing than to watch over an injured vampire that I don't necessarily care for." Natalie stated, exasperated with the situation.  
  
Lacroix put on a hurt face. "It pains me that you show dislike to me, doctor. After all we've been through." Lacroix put up a hand to still her outburst, his silver pinky ring glinting in the light. "All right, I know the only reason you are here is because of Nicholas, so I will cooperate for now." Lacroix leaned back onto the couch, exhausted, but he would never let this crowd know that.  
  
"Who did this to you Lacroix?" Nick asked.  
  
"I am not sure, Nicholas. I am afraid I didn't see their face. I was concerned with other matters at the moment. As for what is happening to me, you cannot imagine what it is like."  
  
"Try and explain. If there really is something wrong with you, then all vampires could be affected." Natalie said with a worried glance toward Nick.  
  
"I feel...weak. And hot." Lacroix admitted with a grimace. "They are quite annoying feelings doctor, but I do not know what is causing them. I can only assume they have something to do with these." He gestured to the cut marks on his face who had yet to heal. "Because I've had, shall I say experience in stakings, and there was nothing different about this time, except for the damned garlic that is."  
  
"What do you mean, you feel hot and weak? We did notice that you felt warmer than normal, so there's a slight worry there, but what is making you feel weak? Is it the blood loss? We brought some if you think that will help." Natalie said with a gesture at the cooler she had brought in.  
  
Lacroix shook his head. "That's something else that troubles me, Doctor. I have no desire for blood at all. In fact..." Lacroix lowered his voice, and something like real fear came into his blue eyes. "the merest thought of it sickens me." He lowered his yet again, and Natalie strained to catch what he was saying, "and that frightens me."  
  
Nick looked at his master in shock. Surely it couldn't be true. Lacroix, his Lacroix, sick at the thought of human blood? The world would end before that ever happened. And yet, why would Lacroix admit to it if it wasn't true? What exactly was happening?  
  
"I-um...don't know about that. I'm sure it doesn't mean anything." Natalie stuttered, looking to Nick for answers she knew he didn't have. "Ok, let's deal with the obvious here. You say you feel hot?" She reached into her medical bag and took out a thermometer. "Now, this is a thermometer. It's used to take your temperature." Lacroix glared at her. "Hey, don't glare at me, how am I supposed to know if you know what a thermometer is? They certainly didn't have them when you might have used one, now did they? Anyway, I want you to stick this under your tongue." Lacroix glared again, but did as the doctor ordered. Natalie looked to her watched and then waited in silence as a minute passed by. "Alright, time's up. Let's try and find out what's going on." Natalie took the thermometer and glanced at it in the light. She then gave a small gasp and looked back up at Lacroix, not saying a word.  
  
"Well? What is it? Is he ok? Does he have a fever or not?" Erin asked, not liking the silence.  
  
"Um...you do indeed have a fever, Lacroix. In fact, I'm surprised you're still conscious considering how much higher it is than normal for you."  
  
"And how high would that be, doctor?" Lacroix asked, his voice fading a bit.  
  
"Oh, about 100." Natalie said shaking out the thermometer, her voice quivering a bit.  
  
"What?! That's not possible! I didn't even have a temperature of human normal when I had the fever, Natalie! How can he had a temperature of above human normal?"  
  
"I-I don't know, Nick. But we're going to find out." She looked to LaCroix to gauge his reaction, but unnoticed by the group over the shock of her news, he had once again fallen unconscious. She glanced up at Nick, worry on her face.  
  
The silence was broken by a shout from Tracy. "Oh crap! Nick do you have any idea what time it is? We're late for work!"  
  
Nick closed his eyes and groaned, having completely forgotten about the real world in light of the events around him. He looked up at Nat for a solution.  
  
"We can't just leave him here!" Nick exclaimed as Tracy strapped on her gun and put her badge in her inner jacket pocket.  
  
"I'll stay with him." Erin said quietly from the corner. "I'm here on vacation so I don't have a job here to go to."  
  
"I don't think that's a good idea." Nick told her.  
  
"Why not? Because you think he's going to do something to me? Look at him. He's unconscious. And unless you guys get to work on finding out what's wrong with him, it seems to me that he might be worse than that soon. So go. I can take care of myself. Trust me."  
  
The three looked at each other, knowing they had no other choice.  
  
"All right," Nick grudgingly agreed. "I'll give you my cell number. Call me immediately if something happens." He took out a card and wrote the number down on the back of it. "Natalie? Take a blood sample before we go. That way you can analyze it while you're at the lab. And Tracy, I don't know how to thank you for this. I don't think I can."  
  
"I wouldn't thank her quite yet, Nick. We may have to hold out here a little longer." Natalie said with a grim face. Tracy groaned.  
  
"You know, you guys are pretty damn lucky that I didn't have a social life. Anyway, I'm going to work, and I suggest you two do so as well. Besides, if we're too late, Reese might not be as willing to give time off to deal with this situation." Tracy said with a gesture toward LaCroix. "And you," Tracy turned to Erin. "I intend to find everything in this apartment exactly the same as when I left. Understand?" With Erin's nod, Tracy turned and walked toward the door.  
  
"Are you sure you're going to be alright, Erin?" Natalie asked, laying a hand on her shoulder. "This is doing a lot for complete strangers."  
  
"You're damn right about that." Erin gasped out. "But I think I'll be fine. And I promise I'll call if anything changes."  
  
"Alright. Now you must listen to me very carefully." Natalie stressed as she pulled out a syringe to take a blood sample from Lacroix. "This high fever could kill him. You must cool him down. Use as much ice as possible." She turned to look at Nick, holding out her free hand. "Also, I will leave you some bandages. After cooling him down, clean his wounds and cover them. Do you know how to do that?"  
  
"Yes, I have had a little medical training." Erin answered with a nod.  
  
"Good. You can use Nick's credit card to buy as much ice as you need, but I mean what I say when I tell you that this fever could be killing him. I will be back as soon as I can, hopefully with an idea on how to cure him." With that, Natalie capped the full syringe and placed Nick's credit card in her hand and turned and walked out the door. Pausing as if she forgot something, Natalie turned back and pulled a Q-Tip out of her bag, dabbing at one of the cuts on Lacroix's face, she placed the bloody sample in a small glass tube made especially for that very purpose. After she was satisfied that she had remembered everything, she turned and headed out the door.  
  
Erin sighed, glancing up at who was left. Detective Nick Knight. He had a look of concern and distrust on his face.  
  
"Everything will be ok, Detective. I promise."  
  
"You'd better hope so." He replied tersely as he made his way out as well. "I'll be back soon." With that, the apartment was silent except for the slightly ragged breathing emanating from the couch beside her.  
  
A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews! The next part should be up soon!! 


	4. Chapter Four

Blood Bonds Part IV A Forever Knight story by Merrie Thomas  
  
Disclaimer: If I did own these wonderful characters, the show would still be on, and Lacroix would be the main character. ;-)  
  
Characters: Lacroix, Nick, Natalie, Tracy, Erin Gabriel OFC,  
  
Summary: Someone or something is after Lacroix, and it is up to Nick and Nat to find out who it is and how to stop them.  
  
Author's Notes: Be kind, this is only my second attempt at Forever Knight fanfic. This takes place in the third season after Ashes to Ashes. Also, '...' indicates the character is thinking to themself. Please keep posting your kind reviews!! I need to know that someone out there is reading this before I post new chapters!! Thanks!!  
  
Rating: This story is rated PG-13  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Erin stood a moment, trying to wrap her mind around the situation in front of her before going to what she assumed to be the kitchen to get some ice. Reaching the freezer, she paused a moment. "How am I going to keep him cool?" she mused to herself. The answer came to her almost immediately and she ran to find a bathroom. Coming upon a large bathroom with what she had been searching for she went to wake Lacroix. "Lucien?" She whispered, placing her hand on Lacroix's shoulder. "Can you hear me? I need you to wake up." Lacroix groaned, but opened his eyes and did as he was bid.  
  
"What? Where is everyone? Where is Nicholas?" He asked, his voice worried.  
  
"They're all gone, they had to go to work. In fact, they just left a few minutes ago."  
  
"They left me alone with you, my dear? How lovely." Lacroix said with a weak grin.  
  
Erin would have been embarrassed again if not for the fact that Lacroix began to gasp for breath soon after saying it. "Listen to me, Lucien. You have a very high fever and I need to get you to the bathtub so I can cool you down." She glanced over Lacroix's quite lengthy form with a frown. "And I don't think I can do it without your help."  
  
Lacroix looked up at her and silently agreed. There was no way this 5'5'' mortal would be able to carry him. He groaned as he lifted himself into a seating position. "Alright," Erin said, "the bathroom's not very far. If you lean on me we can make it." She reached out a hand to help Lacroix off of the couch, pulling him to his feet. He wavered a bit, but was able to stand on his own. Slowly, they made their way to the bathroom, were they stopped in front of the tub. "Um..." Erin started after looking at Lacroix. "Clothes?" She asked with a blush.  
  
Lacroix looked down at the tattered remains of his silk pajamas and robe. He nodded, and with her help he managed to shrug it off.  
  
Erin couldn't help but gasp at what she saw before him. Even with the half-healed wound in his stomach, it was clear that he was in excellent condition. All she cold think about was running her hand over the tight muscles of his stomach and chest. She gave her head a quick shake to bring herself back to the situation in front of her. If Lacroix had noticed her reaction he made no sign. He simply slouched down to the ground, being able to stand no longer. "Rest here a moment, I'll start the tub and get some ice." Erin said, checking to make sure he was alright and then turning to fill the tub with cold water. After the tub was filled to her satisfaction, she helped him out of the remainder of his clothes and tried to put the thought of his naked body out of her mind with little success as she helped him into the tub. Lacroix gave a gasp at the already cold water, but Erin knew that it wouldn't be cold enough. She then ran to the kitchen to grab the bag of ice she had found in the freezer. Upon returning to the bathroom, she found Lacroix nearly unconscious again. Dropping the bag to the ground without a second thought, she ran to him and gently shook his shoulders. "Lucien, you must stay awake! I know you're tired, but you must not fall asleep." Erin gave a gasp relief as she saw him open his blue eyes wide and look up at her.  
  
"I will stay awake, my dear, as long as you stay with me." Lacroix said, not quite admitting that he didn't want to be alone.  
  
"Of course I will stay with you, don't worry." She turned to pick up the neglected bag of ice and opened it. After waiting for Lacroix's nod, she dumped the contents into the water.  
  
Lacroix gave another gasp as the water became noticeably colder, then shivered.  
  
"You shouldn't stay in too long, I wouldn't want you to get hypothermia."  
  
"I can't get hypothermia. I'm a vampire." Lacroix said stubbornly.  
  
"Oh, really? How do you explain the fact that you're sick, then?"  
  
"I am not sick!"  
  
"Fine, have it your way." Erin said in frustration. Lacroix sulked. Neither one said a word as Lacroix sat in the tub shivering. After a few minutes, Erin made a move to place a hand to Lacroix's forehead. Seeing that he wouldn't stop her, she checked his temperature. A small smile of relief came to her face as she noticed that he felt much cooler than before. In fact, as she placed a hand to her own face to compare, she noticed something. She got up to search through the bathroom cabinets for a way to prove her theory. After finding a thermometer, she took off the cap, shook a couple of times, and with a little trouble, placed it in Lacroix's mouth under his tongue.  
  
"What is this?" Lacroix mumbled around the thermometer.  
  
"A thermometer." Erin replied matter-of-factly.  
  
"I know what it is, why is in my mouth?" Lacroix mumbled in irritation.  
  
"I want to take your temperature. Now shut up and keep that under your tongue. You didn't give Dr. Lambert this much trouble." she grumbled.  
  
Irritated by her tone, her utter audacity to speak to him like that, Lacroix shot her a cold glare. He would obey however, for now.  
  
After Erin judged a minute had gone by, she took the thermometer out of Lacroix's mouth and held it up to the light to inspect it.  
  
"What does it say?" Lacroix asked, with another shiver.  
  
"It says that you can get out of the tub now. Your temperature is back to normal."  
  
"Normal?" Lacroix asked with a frown.  
  
"Yeah, 98.6 degrees. Normal." Erin said, confused.  
  
"That's not...that's not right...not normal..." Lacroix's eyes then rolled up into the back of his head as he fell once more into the abyss.  
  
"Lucien! Lucien! Stay awake! Talk to me! What do you mean it's not normal? I don't know what to do, please wake up!" Erin shook Lacroix, hoping to rouse him, but it was no use.  
  
'What do I do now?'  
  
At the Coroner's Building, Natalie tried to work. She stared at the bodies in front of her, tried to do her job, but she just couldn't. She couldn't stop thinking about Lacroix. It unnerved her to no end to see the ancient immortal in such a state. 'If someone can inflict that much damage on someone like him, what does that mean for Nick?' She simply couldn't get thoughts of that nature out of her mind. She sat at her desk and pondered on whether or not to call over to Tracy's house and see how things were going. She was so deep in thought however, that she hadn't even noticed Nick's entrance until he was right up on top of her. "Nat?" He called over her shoulder. Natalie jumped.  
  
"Nick! Don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack! Not all of us can live forever, remember?" Natalie turned with a smile on her face, this being a common joke between the two of them. Her smile dropped however, as her eyes came to Nick's face. "Nick? What's the matter? Is it Lacroix?"  
  
"Nat. I can't..." He paused a moment, collecting himself. "I can't feel him."  
  
"What? What do you mean you can't feel him? I thought you could always feel him? I thought the only way you wouldn't be able to feel him is..." Her eyes widened as she realized what he was saying. "Oh God, Nick."  
  
"He's gone, Nat." Nick whispered, his eyes filling with tears.  
  
Tracy simply couldn't seem to focus today. She didn't really berate herself, she knew the reason wasn't her fault. She couldn't believe it. After all this time with Nick, she thought she would have noticed that there was something not quite right about him. Something otherworldly. She was still hurt over the fact that he hadn't trusted her with his secret before now. He must have known about her and Vachon. Did they sit around and laugh about her? About poor, ignorant Tracy. So dumb that she can't even notice that her own partner's a vampire? Tracy gave a quick shake of her head and pushed these thoughts aside. Whatever Nick was, whatever he had done in the past, (800 years? Holy shit!) he was a good man even if he technically wasn't one. A man, that is. 'I'm becoming a bit hysterical.' Tracy thought to herself with a smile. 'Well, who wouldn't under the circumstances? I've got a 2000 year old, sick master vampire at home on my couch, and a 800 year old vampire as a partner.' The first fact alone was enough to make anyone a little hysterical. Shaking her head to clear it a little, Tracy shuffled and stacked the papers on her impeccably neat desk, and looked at the wall clock in impatience. Before she could count her remaining time on shift however, Captain Reese let out a bellow. "Vetter! In my office, now!" Tracy glanced at her coworkers who looked upon her with pity. She sighed and made her way to Reese's office, wondering what else could happen in one night.  
  
"Yeah, Cap?" she said, trying to sound nonchalant.  
  
"What's up with that partner tonight?"  
  
"What do you mean, Captain?" Tracy asked, trying to put a confused look on her face.  
  
"What I mean, is that he booked off not ten minutes ago. Said he had to go visit a sick relative. Do you know anything about that?"  
  
Tracy tried not to fume as she processed what Reese was telling her. Why should he get to book off when Lacroix is in my house? Sure, they're related and all, but still. "I don't think so Captain. At least, he didn't mention anything to me about it."  
  
"Of course he wouldn't. He's only your partner." Reese said with a glare to what Tracy assumed to be Nick's desk.  
  
"Would you like for me to call him, Cap?"  
  
Reese considered a moment. "No, don't bother. Let him have his time off. I don't even want to know how much time we owe him in sick days. I swear I don't know how he stays so healthy all the time. You can go. But be careful tonight since you are without your partner. Call for backup if needed. That's what we're here for."  
  
Tracy had to fight down a grin as she now knew the real reason Nick was never sick. "Alright Cap, I'll be careful."  
  
Tracy made her way out of Reese's office back to her desk where she grabbed her coat, making sure her car keys and badge were in their proper places. She then made her way out to her car, fully intending to stop off at the Corner's Building and her home to see what was happening there.  
  
As she drove, her radio station tuned to CERK through association rather than preference, she was bothered by the fact that the Nightcrawler's show wasn't on. Not that she would ever fully admit that she listened to it, of course, but Tracy found herself missing Lacroix's soothing voice. She hoped that he would be alright, and that her life would get back to normal or at least some semblance of normal soon. Tracy knew however, that with Nick's confession about what he really was, her life would be somewhere beyond normal for at least a little while. This disconcerted her. 'How long does a vampire stick around in one place, anyway?' she thought with a frown. 'What's going to happen to me when Nick leaves?' Shaking her head, Tracy put such thoughts in the back of her mind, not to be forgotten, but not to be dwelt upon in the present either.  
  
Before long, she found herself in front of the now-familiar ME's office, and parked next to Nick's Caddy. Tracy smiled, not surprised to find him there. 'When are he and Nat finally going to realize that they are meant for each other?' She sighed and made her way to the building, not noticing that Nick and Natalie were coming out her way.  
  
"Tracy, hi. What are you doing here?" Natalie said with a touch of sadness in her voice. Not much, it took a detective to notice it.  
  
"What's wrong, Natalie? Nick?" Tracy asked, glancing over at her partner with a frown. She gave a small gasp as she took in the depth of Nick's depression in his countenance. "Did something happen to Lacroix?"  
  
At the mention of Lacroix's name, Nick looked to the ground and Tracy knew her assumption to be correct. "How do you know? I mean, how can you possibly know?"  
  
"I know Tracy, I knew immediately that something had happened to Lacroix. He is my master." Nick offered in explanation.  
  
"Oh." Tracy didn't know what else to say. How can you comfort a vampire who has lost his master?  
  
"We're on our way to your apartment, Tracy. Would you like to join us?" Natalie asked, trying to change the subject.  
  
"Uh, yeah Natalie. I'll come. It's been a slow night anyway." Tracy said, casting a glance at Nick for his approval. When Nick didn't make a move, Tracy and Natalie looked at each other and made their way to the Caddy. Upon reaching it, Tracy realized just how affected Nick was by losing Lacroix when he made no objections after Tracy placed herself in the driver's seat of his Caddy. Natalie looked at her worriedly and pushed the passenger seat forward so she could sit in the back. "Um, Nick? I'm going to need your keys if we are driving to my place. I hope that Erin lady hasn't screwed anything up. Wait a minute, Erin! You gave her your cell number, right? Why hasn't she called? Didn't she say that she would call if something happened? Maybe Lacroix's alright."  
  
"Maybe she couldn't call, Tracy." Natalie whispered.  
  
"Or wouldn't." Nick added quietly as he handed Tracy his keys.  
  
The three of them spent the rest of the ride to Tracy's apartment in silence, each of them left to their own thoughts and fears.  
  
Unbeknownst to the trio, a pair of brightly shining eyes followed their every move, coldly calculating, waiting patiently for an opportunity to strike. 'He will pay for what he has done. They all will.' It whispered through clenched teeth. On closer inspection, the figure didn't have teeth at all, rather a full set of sharp fangs, gleaming in the moonlight.  
  
Nick took no time in rushing to Tracy's front door, nearly breaking it down before Natalie intervened with a hand on his shoulder with a whisper of his name. Tracy then took the lead and knocked loudly on her front door. Inside, the three of them heard a loud bang and a lot of cursing as Erin rushed to answer it.  
  
"Hello? Who is it?" Erin asked at them, the door open, but the deadbolt in place. "Oh!" she cried, recognizing them and unlocking the door. "Thank God you're here! Something has happened to Lucien! I can't get him to wake-" She was interrupted as Nick rushed past her in a blur to the bathroom where Lacroix was still in the tub. "What?" Erin asked, getting turned around in Nick's wake. "I don't think there's any need for concern, I'm sure he'll wake up when he wants to." Erin said, a bit annoyed.  
  
"What do you mean 'wake up?' He's dead Erin." Natalie stated, a confused look on her face. Erin blanched.  
  
"No...he..he wasn't dead. I checked on him right before you got here. He was alive I swear it!" She then turned and rushed to the bathroom as well. Tracy and Natalie looked at each other briefly before closing the front door and making their way to where the excitement was. They weren't prepared for what they found, however. There, kneeling beside the tub, two blood-red tear tracks marring his face, was Nick.  
  
"What is it, Nick? Is he...?"  
  
"No." Nick said.  
  
"No?" Tracy asked. "But I thought you said..."  
  
"I was wrong. He's alive, Nat. Really alive." He said with conviction.  
  
Natalie gasped. "You mean?" she found she couldn't get the words out.  
  
"He's human."  
  
A/N: Oh how I love the smell of cliffhangers in the morning. :-) Seriously, folks. The new chapter will be up quicker than ye blink. 


	5. Chapter Five

Blood Bonds Part V  
  
A Forever Knight story by Merrie Thomas  
  
Disclaimer: All characters you're familiar with don't belong to me. Those that you aren't, do.  
  
Characters: Lacroix, Nick, Natalie, Tracy, Erin Gabriel OFC,  
  
Summary: Someone or something is after Lacroix, and it is up to Nick and Nat to find out who it is and how to stop them.  
  
Author's Note: Okay, I'm very, very sorry that this took so long to post. College is hell on your writing schedule.  
  
Rating: This story is rated PG-13  
  
Chapter Five  
  
"What the hell are you talking about? Seriously, you people are confusing. First you say he's a vampire, now you're saying he's human. Will you people make up you damn minds! By the way, how can you tell he's human?" Erin asked, casting a glance toward Lacroix.  
  
"He's-" Nick started.  
  
"No, wait. It doesn't matter right now. What does matter is getting him out of this tub and back on the couch. Help me lift him?" Erin asked.  
  
Nick didn't answer as he lifted Lacroix's limp form out of the tub with ease. Erin gasped and blushed at the same time, hurriedly draping a towel over Lacroix.  
  
"Oh come on!" Tracy complained. "Now I know this is a bit of an emergency, but he's dripping all over my carpet. Could you at least dry him off first? Take him for a flight around the block or something?" She grumbled at the looks she received in return.  
  
After Nick placed Lacroix once more on the couch, Natalie ran over to check his pulse for herself. She gasped at the results. "Oh my God, Nick. You're right. He really is human." Nick just nodded in response. "How can this be possible?"  
  
"I don't know, Nat. Did you find anything unusual in his blood back at the lab?" Nick asked.  
  
"Oh my God! The blood tests! I completely forgot about them! I was about to do them when you came over. I have to get back to the lab, now! We need to know how this happened!"  
  
"Alright," Nick said. "Tracy still has the keys to the Caddy, take it. I'm booked off for the night anyway. I'm going to stay here with him."  
  
"Alright Nick. I'll be back as soon as I can. Call me if anything changes."  
  
"I will." he answered.  
  
"Tracy? Are you coming with me? I didn't know you had booked off too." Natalie asked, heading out the door.  
  
"I didn't. Yeah, I'm coming. Some of us still have to work. You take care, Nick."  
  
"You too, Tracy. Be careful out there tonight."  
  
"I will, don't worry." With that, they left.  
  
After a few moments of silence, Erin finally spoke. "What are you going to do? I take it, this is not normal for him?"  
  
"No, not at all. As far as I knew, there was no cure for vampirism. That didn't stop me from trying, but I have been unsuccessful in my search until now."  
  
"You mean you don't want to be a vampire? That you have been searching for a cure?"  
  
"Yes. I have been searching for a cure to this curse for centuries now. I never expected Lacroix to be the source of it, though."  
  
"Why not? Doesn't he want to be cured also?"  
  
"Oh no, just the opposite in fact. Lacroix has always done everything in his power to turn me away from humanity. To accept what I am and to give up my quest. As far as I know he has never wanted to be human. I can't imagine what he will go through when he realizes what's happened to him."  
  
"Should we wait to wake him up then? If what you say is true, he's going to be pretty freaked out when he wakes up. And you said that he has been a vampire for 2,000 years without ever wanting to be human?"  
  
"Yes, as far as I know."  
  
"Then I suggest we proceed with caution."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean, think about it Nick. He's been a vampire for 2000 years and he's suddenly human again? Imagine the changes he's going to have to go through. Take eating, for example. I assume you guys to the whole 'I vant to suck your blud' thing right?"  
  
"If by that you mean do we drink blood, then yes." Nick replied with a slight roll of his eyes.  
  
"Yeah, well, he can't anymore. He also won't be immortal, Nick. He can be injured, even killed now. He's just like the rest of us mere mortals. And if he remains human, he will also die." And you must be careful as well. You can no longer treat him like you once did."  
  
"I know. I realize all of this, but I still somehow don't believe it. How did he become human in the first place? Why him and not me?"  
  
"I don't know Nick. That's what Natalie is trying to figure out. And who knows? Maybe once she does, she will know how to make you human as well."  
  
"Maybe." was all Nick had to say to that. Nick placed his hand on Lacroix's cheek, once again shocked by the warmth he felt there. 'It isn't fair,' he thought bitterly. 'Of all people to become human? Why him? Am I being punished?'  
  
"You're not being punished, if that's what you think." Erin called out. Nick started and looked at her warily.  
  
"It's not that, it's just..."  
  
"You don't think it's fair that he should become human when you have longed for the return of your humanity nearly your entire existence?" Erin supplied.  
  
"Well, yeah." Nick answered, looking down at the floor.  
  
"Well, who knows? Maybe once we figure out how this happened to Lucien, Natalie can work on doing the same for you."  
  
"Yeah, maybe." Nick said softly. He glanced over at Erin. "Why exactly are you doing this?"  
  
"You mean, why am I helping?" She went on after Nick nodded. "I don't really know. Did you know I actually came to Toronto to meet him? I've been a fan of his show since it first came on the air a couple of years ago. I wanted to come down and meet him in person." Erin smiled bitterly and continued. "I just wanted an interview, perhaps an autograph for my office. I didn't want any of this." She gestured toward Lacrox's still form. "How am I supposed to deal with this? How could anyone deal with this! I'm only a secretary for Christ's sake!!" Nick winced at the shrillness of her voice.  
  
"Erin, I'm sorry. With all that's been going on, we didn't even think about you. I didn't even know what you did for a living until just now."  
  
"It's ok. It's not important." Erin said, looked at Lacroix again and calming herself. "Saving him is what's important. I hope Natalie gets back soon."  
  
"So do I, Erin. So do I."  
  
The bright pair of eyes watched once again as the two female figures left the apartment building. They seemed to be in a hurry, but that didn't matter. Vengeance was all that mattered to him. It was all that could matter. Thoughts of it had filled nearly his entire existence. Salen chuckled ruefully at that. His entire existence hadn't been that long. It was nothing near the length of his mistress'. 'She who should have lived forever.' He thought bitterly. 'My mother, my maker, my mistress. My Divia.'  
  
TBC  
  
A/N: Sorry this took so long to post. My life has been pretty hectic lately. I really appreciate all the kind reviews I received urging me to write a new chapter! You guys rock!! 


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